During the campaign in Aruba, an incident occurred at an illegally organized car parade of the People's Electoral Movement (MEP) in Santa Cruz on 24 April 1983.

[2] When MEP leader Betico Croes began mobilizing 500 cars for the parade, a warning shot was fired by a police officer.

[2] Croes was taken to the Dr. Horacio E. Oduber Hospital in Oranjestad, where his spleen was removed and the bleeding was stopped.

[2] Directly after the shooting, riots occurred, in response to which Lieutenant Governor Pedro Bislip ordered to close all bars and prohibit the sale of alcohol on the island until further notice.

The result was a victory for the Democratic Party, which won five of the seven Island Council seats.